Why two missions are targeting the same cruise liner-size asteroid set to zoom by Earth

When a large asteroid comes within 19,883 miles of Earth on April 13, 2029, it won’t be alone. The European Space Agency has announced that its new spacecraft may accompany the asteroid before and after its close pass of Earth. The asteroid, measuring 1,230 feet across, will come closer to our planet than satellites in its orbit and 10 times nearer than the moon. The spacecraft must launch in April 2028 to arrive at the asteroid in February 2029. Scientists plan to study the asteroid to increase our understanding of what happens when space rocks interact with Earth’s gravity.